And oxidizing apparatus



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GJLEVEQUE. -Y Y PORTABLE RBFINING AND OXIDIZI'NG APPARATUS. 110.290,075.l -Patenteanem 11, 1883.."

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PORTABLE REFINING AND1ox|orz|Ne APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,075-, datedDecember 11, 1853.

Application filed February 13` 1883. (No model.) Patented in. France May13, 1882, No.149,270; in Belgium October 31, 1882, `No. 59,428 inLuxemburg. November 4, 1882, No. 232; lin Austria-Hungary November 4,1882, No. 37,736 and No. 253 5 in England November 6,1882, No. 5,288;inSpain November 6,1882, No. 2,827; in Germany November 8, 1882, No.22,410, andin Sweden November 7, 1882.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern/ Be 'itrknown that I, CAMILLE LVQUE, acitizen of the-French Republic, and-a resident of Pouzin, in Vthe FrenchRepublic, have invented'a certain new-and-useful Improvement in PortableRefining and Oxidiz'in g Apparatus; and I dohereby declare-that theV-following is a full, clear, and exact'description ofthe in-` vention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification. VMy invention relates to a novel construction ofportable apparatus or furnacefor refining` iron bythe Bessemer process,substantially as hereinafter fully described, and as shown in .theaccompanying three sheets of drawings,

Figure l shows vmy improved apparatus in elevation and of annular form.Figa-2 is a sec-f tional plan View, and Fig. 3 a vertical transversesection, thereof. Figs. 4 and 5 are side and end elevations; and Figs.6, 7, and 8, aV

plan view, a horizontal longitudinal and a vertical transverse section,respectively, of a furnace'of rectangular formv embodying my invention.,Figs. 9 and 10 show by a'sectional plan and elevation the `connectionof the apparatus with a smelting or blast furnace and the means for its''removal and replacement by another.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts wherever such may occur inthe above figures of drawings.

`When, in the Bessemer process, the actionl of the blast is limited tothe period or point of scorification of the molten mass, a white pigironis obtained similar to that formerly obtained in rening-furnaces. Theerecting of a Bessemer plant with a view to manufacturing steel is,however, very costly, which accounts 'for the fact that such plants arenot generally used in the manufacture of refined metal, for the reasonthat the expense inherent to the working of such a plant cannot besupported by the profits derived any more than could the expensesinherent to the old Styrian semer plan by means of an apparatus of com-1 paratively small prime cost, easy of repair, and adapted to be workedby means of airblast derived from any ordinary blowing-engine.

The apparatus consists of a sheet-metal casing. C, mounted upon wheelsW, and adapted to rotate upon a horizontal axis, A, or wheelaxlesproximate to its center of gravity, and is prevented from tilting by asupporting pulley or wheel, W.

The apparatus may be of annular form, as shown in Figs.- l, 2, and 3, orof rectangular form, as shown in Figs. 5,' 6, 7, and 8.

The apparatus is divided into three chambers or compartments, C C2 O3.The central compartment, C, constituting the oxidizing or rening furnaceor chamber proper, is

formed by lining the sheet-metal walls w w of the air-chamber withfire-brick, and has a sole, s, and arched roof r,.of like or any othersuitable iire-proof material, as shown in-Figs. 2 and 3. This centralcompartment or chamber, G2, is in communication with the chambers @'03by means of a series of blastopenings or tuyeres, T. The chamber C isprovided on its Figs. l, 2, 5, and 6.) The molten metal enters thefurnace C2 by pipe or channel P2, and the gases escape from saidfurnace-.chamber through a series of short chimneys or stacks, S,whichgases may be collected by a hood, D, and conducted to the main or otherstack of the foundry S', as shown in Fig. 10. The

arched roof o of the furnace-chamber C2 is made removable, it beingcomposed of a series of segments or sections, (shown in Figs. l, 2, 3,i, 5, 6, and 8,) whereby ready access may be had to any part of thechamber C2 for anypurpose. Of course it will be understood that the roofr need not necessarily be made of a series of iiidependently-removablesections, though I prefer this to removing the entire roof each time itbecomes necessary to gain access to any one particular part of therefining or oxidizing chamber.

The apparatus, being mounted on wheels, is readily removed when worn andreplaced by another one, whereby the work of rening may go onuiiiiiterriiptedly.

The forni and peculiar construction of the apparatus adapt it for usewith compressed air obtained from the usual blowing-machines oftheblast-furnace.

The fact of being able to use blowers of low pressure, together with thesimplicity of' construction and manipulation, as well as the low cost ofthe apparatus, renders it available in such establishments where aBessemer plant could not be profitably employed, and, in fact, rendersit available in all establishments that produce or may produce the finegrades of iron or steel, whether by the acid or basic processes forBessemer steel, and for all products requiringpig-iron free from sulphurand containing but little silicium.

In practice it will be vfound convenient to have a number of theseapparatuses ready for use, such number depending upon the capacity ofthe works; and in Figs. 10 and 1l I have shown a convenient plant andarrangement for connecting the apparatus directly with the blast-furnaceF, the contents of which are preferably delivered through a channel, I,to a receiver, R, called the measurer,7 and thence by channels Pand I)2to the oxidizingchamber C2. The refined metal is run out by pipe orchannel I)5 and channels I)T into receivers It. As shown, the portablerefiningfurnace is located in the casting or blast-furnace room, fromwhich suitable tracks are laid to an adjoining room, in which thefurnaces.

are or may be stored. Then one of the apparatuses is to be replaced byanother, it is uncoupled from the blast-pipe l, and then ruii along thetrack t into the adjacent room and another one run out by means of thetruck t, Fig. l0, and coupled for operation. The refined metal isremoved by ruiming the receivers It out on the track 15".

The operation of refining may be briefly described as follows: rlhemolten metal, after reaching the furnace-chamber C2, is subjected to theaction of a blast of air (by opening the valve V) forced through themetal from opposite sides in a series of `jets, when the oxidation ofthe silicium and other metals at once begins. Gerbs of sparks escapewith the gases from the stacks S from the moment the air is forcedthrough the metal to the end of the process, which is characterized byan increased velocity in the current of the gases by finer sparks, byscoriiied globules carried along by the air and gas current, and accompanied generally by a voluminous reddish smoke, which would be succeededby a flame becoming more and more white were not at this time thedischarge-passage I)5 opened and the metal run into the receivers It 1tthrough the branched channel PT, in which receivers the metal is chilledor suddenly cooled by contact with water. If the metal is to be used inthe unrefined form, it is simply allowed to run into casting-ladles orpockets or molds from the oxidizing-chamber C2.

In order to entirely empty the oxidizingchamber, the apparatus is tippedover by means of the levers L Il, which operation can be performedwithout arresting the blast, as the apparatus is coupled to the mainblast-pipe I by means of a flexible section of pipe, p. \Vhen emptied,the blast is continued for a few minutes, when the apparatus is rightedandthe tuyeres are inspected, and if everything is in proper conditionthe dischargegate is closed and the feed-gate opened, and the apparatusis ready for another charge. If there is a considerable lapse oftimebetween each operation, it will be found of advantage to heat theapparatus before running iii the metal, either by means of any suitablefuel or by means of the gases from the blast-furnace. Ordinarily,however, the time that elapses between eacli charge is sufficientlyshort to keep the apparatus at a proper temperature, and

` the heating thereof is dispensed with.

The time required for each operation depends naturally upon the natureof the metal treated. Ametal poor in silicious constituents is refinedin two or three minutes, while iron rich in silicates and graphiterequires from fifteen to twenty minutes, and sometimes more.

In an apparatus of the kind described from five to six tons of metalmaybe refined at each operation, and even more, if a sufficient volumeof air is attainable.

Of coui'sc it will be understood that the ineasuring-vessel or receiverR may be dispensed with, and the refining or oxidizing furnace connecteddirectly with the blast or smelting furnace.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is* 1. A rening oroxidizing apparatus divided iiito three chambers, the central chainberconstituting the refining or oxidizing furnace, and the chambers onopposite sides thereof constituting air passages or chambers,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A refining or oxidizing apparatus composed of two air passages orchambers, an intermediate furnace-chamber in communication. with saidair-chambers by means of a series of air-passages or tuyeres, and anouter casing of sheet metal, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

3. An apparatus ofthe class described, com- IOO IIO

ter of gravity of the apparatus, as described.

4. An apparatus of the class described, composed of a central reningchamber or furnace, air passages or chambers on opposite sides thereof,an arched roof for said refiningchamber, composed of removable sections,all formed of sheet metal, the inclosing-walls of the-rening-chamberbeing lined with suita-- ble fire-proof material, and provided withmeans for the eduction of the gases, the whole being adapted foroscillation upon a horizontal axis proximate to the center of gravity ofthe apparatus, as described, for the purpose specified.

' 5. The combination, with the refining or oxidizing chamber G2, of theair-chambers C C3, surrounding said chamber C2, a series of air-passagesor tuyeres, T, and suitable appliances for connecting the air-chamberswith a blast apparatus, and for feeding themolten metal to anddischarging it from the oxidizing-chamber C2, substantially as and forthe purpose speciied.

6. The combination, with the chamber C', having its inclosing-wallslined with nre-proof material, of a roof, 1', composed of a series of290,075 v l `e independently-removablesections, lined likewise withfire-proof material, some of said sections being provided With asheet-metal stack,

S, removable therewith, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination, with the rening or oxidizing apparatus,constructedas described, and adapted for oscillation upon a horizontal axisproximate to its centerof gravity, of the wheel W and the levers L L,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. The combination, with the rening or Y oxidizing apparatus constructedto oscillate upon a horizontal axis proximate to its center of gravity,and a delivery-pipe for delivering y tus, and detachable connections forconnecting the refining apparatus with the measuringvessel, thereceiver, and blast apparatus, substantially as and for the purposesspecied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this10th day of Witnesses x BoUsGRANIER, Roomse-Unir,

